The orc squad that had rashly launched the attack retreated.
The soldiers in the front row of the Ausser Army with good hearing could even faintly hear the angry curses coming from the orcs.
Clearly, this small cavalry charge was an unauthorized action, which thoroughly angered the opposing commander. The orcs who fled back were dragged off their horses by the commander and subjected to a barrage of beatings and insults, causing a commotion among the surrounding orcs. However, no one dared to advance easily afterward.
After another half hour of standoff, Orc Cavalry continued to simply circle the defensive line without making any new moves, and the distant grasslands remained calm, with no signs of more orc reinforcements approaching.
Paul lowered his binoculars and ordered, " Schroeder, have the cavalry outflank them from the left and launch a preemptive strike to probe their strength."
"Yes!" Schroeder immediately gave the order, and soon more than two thousand cavalrymen on the left flank of the Ausser Army mounted their horses, drew their sabers, and drew a bright arc in the sunlight as they rushed toward the flank of the Orc Cavalry.
The orc commander seemed somewhat surprised to see the Ausser Army cavalry launch a surprise attack. After hesitating for a moment, he did not order a counterattack but instead shouted loudly, instructing all the Orc Cavalry to turn their horses around and retreat to the northeast.
Their retreat was swift, the dust kicked up by their horses' hooves obscuring the sky, and they quickly widened the distance between themselves and the Ausser Army cavalry.
" Marquis, should we continue the pursuit?" The cavalry battalion commander sent someone to ask for instructions.
Paul shook his head. "No need to chase them. Let them retreat." He looked thoughtfully in the direction Orc Cavalry had gone.
Schroeder walked up to Paul and said, " Marquis, this is Abar's challenge. He sent these two thousand cavalry to test our strength, and perhaps he also wants to lure us deep into the steppe and into the battlefield he has set up."
Paul nodded, agreeing with Schroeder's assessment.
Looking up to the northeast, they might find a huge trap waiting to be stepped into.
"Order the entire army to set up camp and strengthen vigilance."
"Let's conserve our strength first, then we'll go find Abar's main force!"
...
Redstone Desert.
The bloody shock of Elliot's night raid on the orcish stronghold ultimately became the final straw that broke the camel's back for Grand Prince Karim Ben Hassan.
When the vanguard of the Sentinel Legion arrived at the gates of the Duchy of Roland, the Grand Duke did not hesitate. He personally led his ministers to open the gates, and surrendered the city by holding the bronze key symbolizing the sovereignty of the city-state.
He knew very well that the orc Centurion Monk has fled back to the plains with a vow to annihilate Roland. Abar's wrath could descend at any moment, and only by allying with Aldor can this oasis city-state be preserved.
The surrender of Duchy of Roland provided Sentinel Legion with a crucial foothold for entering the Redstone Desert. The main force of the legion then moved in, replenished its supplies, established camps near water sources, and even converted the blacksmith shops in the city into makeshift armories to prepare for the subsequent advance.
Along this route through the Redstone Desert, dozens of oasis city-states of varying sizes are scattered. They were once vassal states of Aldor, but were later infiltrated by orcs or Gabella forces due to the kingdom's decline. Now is the best time to reclaim them.
The subsequent advance went far more smoothly than anticipated. Most of these oasis city-states had populations of only tens of thousands and armies of no more than a thousand, primarily composed of infantry. They lacked both the mobility of the Orc Cavalry and the firepower advantage of the Ausser Army. When the Sentinel Legion's banners appeared in the city-states' sights, most lords surrendered almost without resistance. They had already heard of the fate of Duchy of Roland and knew that Abar's army was not nearby. Rather than resisting and having their cities breached, they chose to submit proactively to preserve their territory and people.
Only a few city-states chose to put up a brief resistance due to pressure from the orcs remaining in their cities. In the city-state of Karuk, located in the middle of the desert, more than fifty orcs held knives to the lord's neck, forcing the garrison to defend against the earthen city walls.
The Sentinel Legion did not rush into an attack, but instead deployed cannons to bombard the base of the city walls. Within a day, a section of the not-so-sturdy wall collapsed. The Ausser Army... Soldiers charged forward with rifles in hand, the sound of gunfire quickly drowning out the roars of the orcs.
When the city walls fell, the defenders laid down their weapons, and the orcs who tried to resist eventually fell to the guns of the Ausser Army.
Similar scenes were repeated two or three times in the desert. Each resistance ended with the city-state being breached and the orcs being wiped out, which made subsequent city-states even less likely to take any chances.
Time passed steadily with the war progressing, and two months later, Sentinel Legion had subjugated more than half of the oasis city-states in the Redstone Desert.
They established three supply depots along the trade route, unified the allocation of food and water "gifts" from the surrendered city-states, and even began to organize caravans to resume trade, bringing new life to this long-dormant desert.
As the Legion advanced, the half of the land that had once belonged to Aldor, which had been taken by the orcs, was almost entirely returned to the kingdom.
And the other half now belongs to Gabella!
As the current commander of the Sentinel Legion, Sir Colin is eager to restore all his spheres of influence, but he knows very well that Gabella is far superior to the weak oasis city-states of the past. This empire, which spans the central part of the continent, has a well-equipped regular army and now has powerful magical support. It would be unwise for the Sentinel Legion to rashly start a war with its current forces.
" Sir Colin, the Duke is waiting for you in the council chamber." The servant's announcement interrupted his thoughts. Colin turned and walked down the arrow tower, hurrying towards the council chamber.
Duke Hal has just arrived from the rear, bringing with him the latest instructions from the capital regarding the desert war, as well as news about the grassland battlefield: Although Marquis Glaeman's Northwest Legion has gained a foothold on the grassland, Abar's main force remains, and it will be impossible to completely eliminate the orc forces in the short term.
Inside the council chamber, a map covered the entire wooden table, with the recaptured oasis city-states marked in red and Gabella's sphere of influence circled in black. Granite Duchy, located between the two, was marked with a striking blue circle; it was currently the only city-state in the Redstone Desert still controlled by orc forces.
"Colin, the capital's intentions are very clear," Hal Duke said gravely, pointing to the Gabella border on the map. "His Majesty Rodney XVIII does not want us to have a direct conflict with Gabella. Antonio has just made peace with the Papacy and his military strength is at its peak. Provoking him now could very well provoke Gabella's retaliation. In that case, we will not only have to deal with the orc army that may counterattack, but also guard against Gabella's surprise attack."
Colin nodded, his fingertip landing on Granite Duchy: "I understand. Once we take Granite Duchy, we can completely wipe out the remaining orcs in the desert. Why don't we use Granite Duchy as a boundary and stop our eastward advance?"